Akhen

The Binate Polis

Akhen is an ostensibly pharaonic polis, on the west bank at the mouth of the mighty red Idam river. Its privileged position allows it, along with its bitter rival Senemet on the far bank of the Idam, to control trade for some distance along the southern coast of Nubir west of the Idam. Unfortunately for Akhen, Senemet's trade corridor is far more lucrative, as the access Akhen once had to the Khilana gyre from exotic Vandelay has been cut off by the Psaroa dominion.
The pharaoh Akhensumar retreated to the palace on the cliffs above the city a hundred years ago during the Daemon Winter, and no one has knowingly met anyone from the royal family since. Instead the bureaucracy, and the priesthood at its heart, rules the city in their name. It was declared that the lazyness and lack of empathy of the people had brought forth that apocalypse and that people should redouble their efforts to show their worth to the Gods. Now the call goes out in the morning from the temples for people to begin their work, then again in the evening to transition to a second life trading jobs and families with another, trading back again at the evening of the next day. As a result, the citizens of the binate polis must learn two livelihoods, and are expected to be faithful to both of their families. The bond-sibling with whom you switch lives is assigned by the priesthood, though most of the noble families are known to pay bribes to the temple coffers in exchange for an assignment of their own arrangement.
Foreign traders remain at the sprawling port so they are not subjected to this law, but still they come despite the strange demands of this polis, for Akhen is the breadbasket of the northern Pyrmar region. Its great fields lie in the major floodplain of the Idam. Their rival kingdom of Senemet on the other side of the river benefits from this effect to some extent as well, but that kingdom of the east bank is far hillier; Senemet is thus more known for their quarries, mines, and the crafts surrounding the products of these things, as opposed to Akhen's fertile riches of the Idam.

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Akhena PCs

• Double Life: As a consequence of the double life most Akhena must lead, you pick a second background and gain all benefits of that background in addition to the first - skills, proficiencies, features, equipment and all.

Type

City